National Republican., 1887-02-04
THE IIOI1SE.

JuE hOUSE.
In the morning hour, Mr.. Oates, OF Ala
bama, on behalf of the committee on revis-
ion of the laws, called up the bill authorlz.
ing the appointment and prescribing the
compensation Of clerks to senators and rep
resentatives who are not chairmen Of com
mittees.
Mr.. Caldwell, OF Tennessee, opposed the
bill. No Democrat was authorized to vote
for this increased conn ensation, for 1t was
nothing more or less than that. The plat
form upon which the Democratic party had
come into power was "Retrenchment and
reform" Was It retrenchment to add 800
persons to the list OF ofilceholdersY Was It
reform to reach out and grab patronage
He saw In the proposition disaster to MEM
bers and the grave Of the Democratic party.
IL there was any veto thunder left In the
President he would bury this bill under q
trip-hsmmer veto rather than bury himself
and bis party by signing It,
Mr.. White, Of Pennsylvania, said that he
had the courage Of his convictions In advo-
eating the passage Of the bill, and he knew
that his action would be indorsed by his
constituents.
Mr.. Warner, Of Ohio, opposed the meas
ure. The clerks which 1t was proposed to
give members Of Congress were not to aid
them I'm the discharge OF their legislative
duties, but in the discharge OF their private
which members could get rid Of these pri.
vate duties. They had become employment
agents, claim agents, pension agents, patent
agents, and the clerks would simply become
claim agent attachments. II this bill should
pass members should attach to their name
the letters IN. G. and @. A."--''member of
Congress and claim agont;' and Congress
would become little more than an annex to
the department.
Mr.. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, spoke from
twenty.six years. experience In favor Of
the bill. Year after year he had paid from
his poor salary $500 for such services as he
was obliged to employ clerk to perform.
He had for two years enjoyed the privilege
Of the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr.
CaldwelD; that is to say, he had been
chairman Of acommittee, and It had saved
him his 5000. He was now using the SER
vices of q gentleman to whom he paid 500
month out of his poor salary, and he
believed that II his constituents knew the
sacrifices he had made to serve them they
would shock thepublic sense by making up
a fund to reimburse him. He did not want
clerk to help him get offices. He had
declined denomination in 1868 until
plank was put in the platform that he
should not be expected to seek to admins
ter the minor Offices Of the government.
For eighteen years his Constituents had
elected him with increasing majorities be-
cause they found him serving the general
interests of the people and leaving the
offices to the care OF those to whom the
constitution and the laws confided them.
Mr.. Holman, Of Indiana, regarded the
measure as one increasing the pay Of men,
bers Of Congress, and as such he opposed it.
Mr.. Dougherty, Of Florida, favored the
proposition, but thought that It should be
amended SO as not to take effect until the
fifty-first Congress.
Mr.. Turner, Of Georgia, admitted that the
labors Of a member OF Congress were
arduous, difficult, and embarrassing, but
thought 1t hardly consistent with the pro.
fessions of the Democratic party that it
should commit itself to a measure intended
merely to increase the allowances OF mem :
bers.
Mr.. Curtin, OF Pennsylvania, bore testl-
mony to the laborious round of congress
mans life, and supported the pending bill.
He was going out Of Congress, but he was
glad Of the opportunity, before he went, of
firing one stern gun In justice to those
who would come after him.
Mr.. Eden, of Illinois, moved to lay the
bill on the table. Agreed to-yeas 141,
nays 105.
The House then went into committee Of
whole (Mr. Blount, of Georgia, In the chair)
on the pleuro- pneumonia bill, the pending
amendment being one offered by Mr..
Cutcheon, of Michigan, providing that the
experts and agents to be appointed in pur-
suance Of this act shall be appointed under
civil service rules. Lost-13 to So.
After couple of hours consumed In an
effort to limit debate on the bill, Mr..
Swinburne, OF New York, offered an
amendment striking out the provision for
the destruction of the diseased animals,
and Inserting In lieu thereof provision
that such animals shall be quarantined and
destroyed, II deemed necessary, for
scientific investigation by the scientific
experts, and the experts shall provide such
rules and regulations as they deem necessary
to best prevent the spreading Of the disease
and promote thorough Investigation and
understanding Of its nature, characteristics,
and consequences. Agreed to--97 to 73.
Mr.. Butterworth, Of Ohio, offered an
amendment reducing from three.quarters
to one-half Of the value of the animals
when sound, the compensation which may
be allowed owners OF cattle for animals
slaughtered under the provisions of this
act. Agreed to-110 to 36.
Without concluding the consideration oi
the bill the committee rose and the House
at 4:55 adjourned.